Golf club head including liquid mercury in rotatable turntable



0, 1965 J. J. BLASING 3,199,874

GOLF CLUB HEAD INCLUDING LIQUID MERCURY IN ROTATABLE TURNTABLE Filed Feb. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

JW/IV J 51 ADV/V6 1965 J. J. BLASING 3,1993% GOLF CLUB HEAD INCLUDING LIQUID MERCURY IN ROTATABLE TURNTABLE Filed Feb. 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i F' I 9 5 INVENTOR.

JfiA/A J. .AZr95/A/6 United States Patent 3,199,374 GQLF QIJUB HEAD ENCLUDENG LlQUIl) MER- QURY EN R'GTATABLE TURNTABLE John 3. Ella-sing, 4929 Mal-burg t., Cincinnati 9, Ohio Filed Feb. 25, 1963, filer. N 261,251 3 Claims. (ill. 273-179) The invention relates to means to automatically increase the normal distance a golf player may propel or knock a golf ball through the air, and to enable the player to automatically cause the ball to curve to the right or left during its travel through the air, after being struck with a golf club by said player.

An important object of the invention is to provide simple, efiicient and practical means to enable a golf player to knock a golf ball, by contact with the head of a golf club, a greater distance than he can knock it by use of a golf club having a conventional head.

Another object of the invention is to provide economical and effective means to enable a golf player to cause a golf ball to curve to the right or left while the ball is traveling or passing through the air from the point or location at which it is contacted by the head of the golf club. 7

Further, and other objects, and details of the invention, will be apparent from a careful study and reading of the accompanying specification, claims, and reference to the drawings.

The invention consists in the combination of the elements, arrangement of parts, and in the details, as hereinafter explained and claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club having the invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a side and elevational view of the golf club head, showing parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the same showing the indicator in neutral position;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the same;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 in FIG. 4, showing the mercury in dormant position;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the golf club head, with parts broken away, showing the finger of the indicator in neutral position;

FlG. 7 is a section of the turntable, showing the mercury in position in the cavity when the club is being manually swung rearwardly;

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of the turntable showing the position of the mercury when the club is being manually swung forwardly;

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the turntable showing the mercury in position in the cavity to cause the golf ball to curve to the left; and

FIG. 10 is the same showing the mercury in position in the cavity to cause the golf ball to curve to the right.

In the preferred construction of the invention I provide the golf club 1 comprising the hand grip 2, the shaft 3, and the club head 4 having the stem 5 extending upwardly and suitably fixed to the lower end of the shaft. The stem is integral with the front end 6 of the golf club head 4.

Suitably fixed, as by the screws 8, to the face 9 on the front side 9, of the head 4 is the usual fiber insert it The handle or staff of my club is of ordinary length, shape and contour. The club head can be made of wood and may or may not be metal faced. The shape of the head and the facing are not a part of my invention.

As hereinafter explained, the golf ball (not shown) is forcibly contacted by the face 9, in order to propel or drive it forward, when the golf player (not shown) manually swings the golf club downwardly and forwardly during a normal or conventional play.

In the bottom 11 of the golf club head 7 is a recess 12 3,l%,8?4 Patented Aug li), 1965 having curved or cylindrical sidewalls 13. In the top 14 of the head 4 is the hole 15 which rotatably receives the threaded stem 16 of the thumb-nut 17, having the head 17 for purposes hereinafter explained.

In the recess 12 is the rotatable cylinder or cylindrical turntable 1% having integrally connected with its bottom 19 the cylindrical knob 20 rotatably mounted in the aperture .21 in the bottom plate 22. fixed to the bottom of the head 7 as by the screws 23. The plate 22 closes the lower portion of the recess 12, and supports the turntable 18 when the shaft of the golf club is in upwardly extended position.

The lower end of the threaded stem 16 of the nut 17 is threaded to threads in the hole 24 of the boss 25 integral with the top of the turntable 13, whereby the turntable can be fixed in any selected position by manually screwing the head 17' of the thumb-nut l7 inwardly and tightly engaging the head 17 with the top of the club head 4.

In the top 14 of the golf club head 7, and adjacent the rear side 26 of tie head, is the slot 27 clearly shown in FIG. 4 and having the curved spaced apart walls 28 and 29. Printed on the top of the head 7, adjacent the rear side 25, are the spaced apart characters H, 0, and S, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 of the drawings.

Received through the slot 27 is the upper leg or finger 3d of the Z-shape indicator 31 having its lower leg 32 suitably fixed to the top of the turntable 18. The indicator 31 may be formed from relatively thin, but stiff metal.

In the turntable la: is the cavity or channel 33 having the sidewalls 34 which extend transversely and horizontally of the head 7 from the rear side 26 toward the front side 9 of the head 4 when the finger 3% is adjacent the character 0, or in neutral position.

The rear portions 35 or approximately one-half of the sidewalls 34 are parallel, and the front portions 36 of the sidewalls are inclined inwardly and forwardly of the head 4 thereby forming a point 37 adjacent the front side 9' of the head.

Threaded to the outer ends of the sidewalls 34 is the plug or disc 38 which closes the outer end of the cavity 33.

As above mentioned the front ends of the sidewalls 34 are inclined inwardly to a point 37 whereby the one-half front of the cavity 33 has less cubical space than the rear one-half of the cavity, for purposes hereinafter explained.

Contained in the cavity 33 is a predetermined quantity of mercury 39, commonly known as quicksilver and which is a relatively heavy, silverwhite metallic element, liquid at ordinary temperatures. In FIG. 5 is shown mercury 39 in its dormant position when the golf club and its head 4 is in the same or approximately the same position as shown in FIG. 1.

Assuming that a predetermined quantity of mercury 39 is in the cavity 33 and the disc 38 is screwed in the position sh wn in various figures of the drawings, particularly FIG. 7, and the head 17' of the thumbnut 17 is disengaged from contact with the top of the golf club head, and also assuming that the golf player desires that the golf ball travel straight forward, without curving, after it is contacted by the downwardly and forward moving head 7, the operation of the invention is, as follows: First, the finger or leg 31 of the indicator 31 is manually moved to a point adjacent the character 0 and into the position shown in FIG. 6 with the walls 34 of the channel or cavity 33 extending transversely of the head 7 and directly from the rear side 26 of the head toward the front side 9' and the face 9. Then the head 17' of the thumbnut 17 is manually tightened into close frictional contact with the top 14 of the golf club head 7, whereby the turntable or cylinder 18 is held in fixed relation to the head 4. Then the golf player, as usual, manually manipulates the grip Z and shaft 3 of the golf club 1 rearwardly and upwardly to cause the golf club head 4 to be positioned above and to the rear of the player. Then the player begins a forward stroke of the club with downward and forward movements of the club head 4 whereby the mercury 39 takes the position shown in FIG. 8, inthe rear portion of the channel or cavity 33 and in contact with the plug 38. The mercury remains in this position until the insert 10 or face 9 of the head 7 contacts the golf ball thereby temporarily stopping or slowing the forward movement of the head 4 whereby the mercury 39 rushes forward toward the face 9 and into forcible contact with the point 37 and inclined walls of the channel 33, thereby increasing the force at which the head 4 contacts the golf ball, the result being that the golf ball travels a greater distance through the air after leaving contact with the club head 7 than it would ordinarily travel without additional force generated by the mercury rushing forward in contact with the forward inclined walls and point 37 of the channel or cavity 33, as shown in FIG. 7.

Now, assuming that the player desires that the golf ball shall be propelled forwardly and he wants to hook or curve the ball to the left, during its travel through the air, the player manually releases the head 17' of the thumbnut 17 from contact with the top of the golf club head 7 and then he manually moves the finger 30 of the indicator 31 toward the left and to a position adjacent the character H printed on the top of the club head 7. Then the player tightens the thumbnut 17' to hold the turntable in fixed position, and with the walls of the cavity or channel 33 extending at an angle to the right from the front end of the club head 7 toward the front end when the head is Viewed from above its top, as shown in FIG. 9, whereby at the end of the downward and forwardly movement of the head 4, by the player, the face 9 or insert 10 of the head 4 contacts the golf ball and the mercury 39 is caused to move forward along the walls 34 into the point 37 thereby causing the head to shift to the right thereby imparting a counter clockwise spinning movement to the ball causing it to curve to the left, while traveling through the air.

When the player desires that the golf ball curves to the right, while in the air, he moves the finger 30 of the indicator toward the rear end of the club head 7 to a point adjacent the character S whereby the walls of the cavity or channel 33 extend at an angle from the rear end of the head 4 toward the front end 6, whereby at the time the face 9 of the head 4 contacts the golf ball, the mercury is caused to rush forwardly along the inclined front walls 36 into the point 37, thereby causing the golf ball to spin in a clockwise direction while traveling through the air in a direction designed to cause the ball to curve to the right.

The invention shown in the drawings referred to and described in the above description, is the preferred embodiment of the same. However, I realize that the conditions concurrent with the adoption and utilization of my invention will necessarily vary. Therefore, I desire to state that various changes in the details of my invention may be resorted to without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A golf club having a circular recess in its headand with vertical walls, a turntable rotatably mounted in said recess and capable of being manually rotated in said recess, said turntable having a channel therein whose walls normally extend horizontally and transversely of said turntable from its rear end directly toward its front end, the front of said walls being inclined forwardly and inwardly and forming a point at the front of said channel, in metallic mercury contained in said channel and being adapted to reside in the front of said channel during the rearward movement of said head by the player preparatory to the players downward and'forward stroke of said club, said mercury being adapted to rush rearward into the rear of said channel during the players forward stroke of said club and being adapted to rush forward in contact with said point on contact of said head with the golf ball, during the players forward stroke and forward movement of said head, thereby imparting forward force to said head to drive said bali through the air, manual rotation of said turntable to a selected position and with said point to the right of said front end of said head causing said mercury to shift said head horizontally and to the right relative to the flight path of the ball when said head contacts said ball to impart counter clockwise spinning movement of said ball to cause said ball to travel in a curve during its travel through the air after leaving contact with said head.

2. A golf club having a recess in its head, a turntable rotatably mounted in said recess and capable of being manually rotated in said recess, said turntable having a channel therein whose walls normally extend transversely of said turntable from its rear end directly toward its front end, said walls being inclined forwardly and inwardly and forming a point at the front of said channel, metallic mercury contained in said channel and said mercury being adapted to rush forward in contact with said point on contact of said head with the golf ball, during the players forward stroke and forward movement of said head, thereby imparting forward force to said head to drive said ball through the air, manual rotation of said turntable to a selected position and with said point to the right of said front end of said head causing said mercury to shift said head to the right relative to the flight path of the ball when said head contacts said ball to impart spinning movement of said ball to cause said ball to travel in a curve during its travel through the air after leaving contact with said head.

3. A golf club having a head having a recess therein having vertical walls, manually rotatable means rotatably mounted in said recess, said means having a channel therein whose side walls normally extend transversely of said head and directly from its rear end toward its front end, mercury contained in said channel and being adapted to rush forward into the front of said channel on contact of said head with a golf ball during the forward stroke of the player and forward movement of said head thereby imparting force to said head to drive said ball through the air, said manually rotatable means capable of being rotated to cause the walls of said channel to extend at an angle with respect to the rear end and the front end of said head whereby contact of said head with said ball causes the mercury to shift the normal movement of said head thereby imparting spinning movement to said ball to cause said ball to travel in a curve during its travel through the air after being contacted by said head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 690,940 1/02 Febiger 273 1,561,595 11/25 Davis 273-170 2,432,450 12/47 Sears 273171 2,501,277 3/50 Hollopeter 273-186 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

3. A GOLF CLUG HAVING A HEAD HAVING A RECESS THEREIN HAVING VERTICAL WALLS, MANUALLY ROTATABLE MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID RECESS, SAID MEANS HAVING A CHANNEL THEREIN WHOSE SIDE WALLS NORMALLY EXTEND TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HEAD AND DIRECTLY FROM ITS REAR END TOWARD ITS FRONT END, MERCURY CONTAINED IN SAID CHANNEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO RUSH FORWARD INTO THE FRONT OF SAID CHANNEL ON CONTACT OF SAID HEAD WITH A GOLF BALL DURING THE FORWARD STROKE OF THE PLAYER AND FORWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID HEAD THEREBY IMPARTING FORCE TO SAID HEAD TO DRIVE SAID BALL THROUGH THE 